


This is a percabeth fanfic, that's it

by obsidianinabottle



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Camp Half-Blood (Percy Jackson), F/M, Fluff, Labyrinth - Freeform, Post-Graduation, percabeth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 09:15:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26849521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/obsidianinabottle/pseuds/obsidianinabottle
Summary: It's dark in the Labyrinth, and malicious. But luckily for Percy and Annabeth, they've got each other. They've survived so much together, what's one more deadly quest?If you're looking for a fic with pure fluff, you've found it. It's a percabeth fanfic, that's it.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson
Kudos: 36





	This is a percabeth fanfic, that's it

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians (PJO) by Rick Riordan, nor do I own the subsequent series (HoO and ToA) and characters either. There isn't any music attached to this fic, but if you are interested in listening to music just put on Welcome to the Black Parade by My Chemical Romance. It doesn't have anything to do with the fanfiction, it's just my favorite song.

After the fifth flock of Stymphalian birds, Percy realized how stupid he was for volunteering for this quest.

It wasn’t _exactly_ a quest, Percy had thought (had been told), which is why he said he’d do it in the first place. It had been years since he went on anything like a quest. Despite all the dangerous ones he went on as a teenager, subsequently followed by the horrific dreams he'd had as a result, Percy felt himself craving some sort of danger in between the classes he taught down by the water.

Yeah. Just like the good old days.

He was lucky in one respect: his favorite person in the world was with him. She ran beside him, bright red talon marks crisscrossing up and down the arm she held her drakon-bone knife in.

"This – is – ridiculous!” Annabeth wheezed. “I could have been at a study session right now, or getting coffee with –

“Duck!” Percy yelled. Just as Annabeth went down, Percy swung Riptide in a wide arc over her head. The Celestial bronze emitted a weak golden light in the gloom of the dark tunnel, piercing three metal birds and reducing them to dust. Percy watched as the rest of them retreated into the blackness.

Annabeth was covered in the dust from Percy’s final kills. “Aw, come on.” She muttered as she shook the dust out of her hair. “Why couldn’t Hazel have taken this quest? She’s the underground-places person.”

Percy brushed her shoulders, spilling Stymphalian dust all over the floor. Blonde curls had come loose from her ponytail, and her face was covered in dirt. Her scratches had begun to bleed. Percy probably wasn’t any better off, judging by his matching scratches, shredded T-shirt and the thin layer of dirt covering his arms. “Come on, you know Hazel’s busy. Lots of new recruits this year.”

“I know, I know. But we’re busy too. I’ve only got two months left until I get my Masters, and I have to do well.” Annabeth took a piece of ambrosia out of a baggie and took a bite. She handed it to Percy, who did the same.

“And there’s the whole ‘flooding’ thing.”

Annabeth sighed as she put the baggie of ambrosia back in her pack, which she slung over her shoulder. “The floods in this section are made of Mist, Percy. There’s no drowning, it’s only the _illusion_ of drowning.”

“That’s still pretty terrifying.” Percy protested.

Annabeth didn’t respond, and Percy knew better than to continue. He got the message. In the eight years he’d been dating Annabeth, he knew that when she wound herself up there was no getting her down. At least, until she decided it was time to calm down. She was getting there, but it would take her a bit.

They turned and stared down into the gloom of the Labyrinth, pausing for a moment to catch their breath. They dared not sheath their weapons.

“I think we’re a little out of shape.” Percy joked.

Annabeth raised an eyebrow. “You mean chasing kids all over a boat and teaching them marine biology doesn’t count as exercise?”

“At least I’m on my feet more than you.” Percy jabbed back. Annabeth punched his arm. The job he had was completely exhausting – and even though he was on his feet all day it didn’t offer much by way of physical exercise. All he did was run a boat in the bay where students came to learn about marine biology and the tides and stuff. It was Percy’s favorite topic, but it was difficult to teach kids. The only reason he still felt like he was somewhat in shape was due to the twice-weekly sword practice he had with Frank. 

Once their respective heart rates had slowed, they kept walking. Percy found his hand slipping into Annabeth’s.

“I can't believe it's been almost a year since you started your grad program.” Percy said. “I also still can’t believe they let you design your program in the first place.” 

In the gloom, Percy could faintly see Annabeth looking at him, a small smile playing on her lips. “Five years as an architecture major just didn’t cut it.” 

Percy turned on their flashlight, illuminating a type of catacomb he had never seen before. It looked completely naturally made. Stalactites and stalagmites rung the sides, and the pungent air smelled like someone had stuffed eggs in gym socks and left them in a toaster on high. He angled the flashlight this way and that. He aimed it up to the ceiling...to the anger of many, many bats.

“Shit!” Annabeth and Percy covered their heads with their arms as bats flew over their heads, emitting high-pitched squeaks of alarm.

When the deluge of winged creatures calmed, the two straightened up.

“Where are we?” Percy asked.

Annabeth traced her fingers over some of the rock formations. Her hand was wet when she drew it back. She made a face, running her fingers over each other to dry faster.

“We’re in a cave of some sort.”

“Wow, thanks.”

Annabeth shot him a warning glance.

“There are a bunch of these in the southwest US. I think we might even be near…” Her voice faltered, and Percy wracked his brain to think of what she meant. His mind flashed to the first time they explored the Labyrinth. Before it collapsed, when it was controlled by a kinder spirit. 

“The Carlsbad caverns.” Percy finished, feeling a wave of nostalgia and the now-familiar pull of anxiety in his throat. Annabeth didn’t even have to respond. He just knew her so well, that she had just confirmed he was right. “With Pan.”

Annabeth nodded, and looked ahead. In the dim light she spotted vines where they should not have been able to grow.

“I don’t think it’s that way.” Annabeth said, checking her watch. “Hazel said when the second hand starts moving backwards, then we should be getting close.”

She turned around and they exited the way they came. They found themselves in a completely different section of the Labyrinth, but this sudden change didn’t warrant a reaction from the two of them. They were used to how the Labyrinth worked. This time the tunnel was older, carved of worn, dusty stone, a small divot running through the bottom and a ceiling so low Percy almost had to crouch.

“It’s Roman.” Annabeth said. “Or maybe Italian.” She brushed her hand across an old doorway that had been caved in by rock. Under her hand, one of the rocks crumbled and fell back into the room behind it. Some of the other rocks followed suit, revealing a darkened room beyond. Annabeth and Percy exchanged a glance, and got to work clearing the rest of the debris.

Once the pathway was mostly clear, they crawled through. This time, Percy was more cautious about where he aimed the flashlight.

“What the hell is this?” Annabeth asked, looking around. Percy shone the light on something right in front of her and Annabeth stifled a scream, scrambling back.

Percy felt adrenaline coursing through his veins. When she realized the _thing_ in front of her wasn’t going to kill her, Annabeth inspected it: it was a vaguely human-esque automaton, with a helmet so poorly dented it took Percy a good thirty seconds to realize it must have been a wolf. She looked at the burned gears, the dead eyes, and the scorch marks. It was sitting on a table, leaning against the wall, and missing everything below what should have been its shoulders.

Her elbow bumped something on the work table next to her, and it fell to the floor with a massive _crash_. Percy raced forward to stop the object from rolling away and examined it in his hands. It was a sphere with a few panels missing and part of it sliced off like a giant knife had cut into it.

“Oh my gods.” Annabeth pulled another flashlight out of her pack and continued looking around. In the back of the room was a raised loft, with what looked like a control panel in it. “Percy, this is the place Leo told us about. Archimedes’ workshop.”

Percy once again searched through his memories from past adventures. He had blocked out most of that one fateful summer when he and Annabeth had fallen into the pit. Too many nightmares. But, of course, this was from their journey on the _Argo II_. It had to be. Even though he hadn’t seen it for himself, the gadgetry that surrounded them sent chills up his spine. He hadn’t had good experiences with ancient and magical machinery in the past, nor had he had good experiences with malicious spirits that possessed humans…and said machinery. He certainly wished for a mad genius like Leo or Harley to be there. Those scorch marks on the automaton looked like Leo's handiwork, in any case.

Annabeth walked through the workshop, tracing a finger over the spheres and leaving a streak in the dust.

“No traps.” Percy remarked.

When Annabeth turned, her eyes glinted silver in the dim light. “No. But there’s something else.” She approached him once more and showed him her watch: the second hand had stopped moving and was now quivering in place.

Percy stared at her quizzically. “Are you sure it’s not just out of batteries, or something?”

Annabeth didn’t respond. She was used to the dumb stuff that came out of his mouth. Instead, she walked around the room with the flashlight aimed at her watch, trying to identify where it was most likely to react. Percy thought that she looked like she was playing a ridiculous game of Marco Polo when she exclaimed, standing in the back corner of the workshop.

“Percy, a light.” He stood behind her and angled the flashlight so she could see where she was working. Annabeth put her flashlight back into her bag and began rummaging in the corner, pulling boxes full of wires out of the way. Eventually, she reached a trapdoor built into the floor and pried it open with her fingers.

The door swung open on hinges so rusty that it fell off of them and landed on the floor with a resounding _clunk_. Annabeth shook her hands out from the effort. She glanced back up at Percy and he nodded. Slowly, she stuck one leg through, and then the other. Annabeth held herself up with her arms. Her breath was quick, her eyes wide.

“Here goes nothing.” She said, and jumped in. 

Less than a second passed and Percy heard a soft _thud_. “You okay?” He called down.

“Yup!” Annabeth called back up.

“No water?”

“None!”

“Okay. Stand back.” Percy’s heart was pounding. His hand dove into his pocket and he fished out Riptide. Feeling a bit better, Percy jumped in after her.

The fall wasn’t far at all, but he still braced for landing. When he hit the floor, he instinctively rolled back up to standing. Annabeth’s flashlight was back out, and she was looking around at the cavern they were in. It was eerily similar to the ones they were just in, in the Carlsbad caverns. But while those were reddish rock, these were gray and black. They glittered under the warmth of the flashlight. Everything felt dry and ashy, not wet. 

“It’s interesting.” Annabeth said.

“What?”

Annabeth’s face was haunting in the dim light. “We haven’t seen any flooding yet.”

Sweat traced down the side of Percy’s neck. It was so humid in the cave, it felt like an

August afternoon in New York. And it smelled just as swampy, too.

“That means they know we’re coming, doesn’t it?”

Annabeth nodded and glanced once more at the watch. “Backwards,” she confirmed, and looked back up. The hole that they fell out of was just above their heads. They could get up there if Percy propped Annabeth up on his shoulders. But Percy had a feeling that they weren’t going to exit that way. On these sorts of quests, there was only one way: forward.

“Hey.” Percy grabbed her wrist.

“What?” Annabeth’s shoulders were tense, her eyes darting around the room. Her mind must have been moving at least 300 pegasuspower (which, by the way, is far more powerful than 300 horsepower).

“I just.” He scratched the back of his head. “I know I haven't said this yet, but thanks for coming with me on this quest.”

Her jaw became unclenched, and her eyes crinkled. She leaned in to him as if she was melting into his arms and breathed in his scent, like a sea breeze. He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her soft (and yes, still dusty) hair.

“Of course, Seaweed Brain.” She said, at last. “There’s no one else I’d rather go on a quest with.”

“Same.”

She lifted her head to get a glimpse of his eyes in the gloom. Grabbing his chin, she gave him a quick kiss. He wanted to stay in this moment, with her, forever. Who cares that they could barely see each other in the darkness? The cavern walls and low ceiling made his mind squirm. But they survived the Labyrinth before. They survived the Underworld. They’d even survived Tartarus. As long as they were _together_ , they could survive this too.

After a long while, Annabeth pulled herself away. Percy didn’t want her to. But the quest was their priority. Annabeth brushed the dirt off her cargo shorts once more and Percy put Riptide back in his pocket. “Besides,” Annabeth’s eyes glinted with mirth now, “You didn’t think you were going to do this _without_ me, right? I haven’t been on a quest in so long! Come on.” She tucked her hair behind her ears.

Her flashlight shot around the room at high speed, looking for a path. Percy looked behind him, and there it was.

“Over there.” He said, and Annabeth shone her flashlight on it too. The twin beams illuminated a tunnel with a floor made of sandstone and walls that whispered to Percy. He traced his hand over the walls and they hummed under his touch. The walls were made of shimmering abalone. The lamps were made of latticed coral, sitting atop golden sconces decorated with pearl inlay. This tunnel was carved from the sea.

Their footsteps echoed through the tunnel. The lights turned on ever so slowly until Percy and Annabeth could turn their flashlights off. The light that adorned their path was dim and green, just bright enough to allow them to see a few feet in front of them. It was like walking underwater.

“This isn’t good.” Annabeth said. “Don’t you feel it?”

Percy felt it, alright. It felt something like pulling two all-nighters in a row: an all-over, under-the-skin itch. The tunnel extended endlessly in front of them, widening out as they continued. Percy felt the need to _run away as fast as they could_ , but he knew that was impossible at this point. He almost considered asking Annabeth if she could hear his heart racing. But she looked the same way he felt, and so he settled for taking her hand once more. She squeezed his tight.

Annabeth hummed a quick, anxious tune. When Percy looked at her inquiringly she said, “Apollo taught us that music could be a sort of magic, remember? Well, I’m using it.”

A short chuckle burst out of Percy’s mouth. “Right.” He said. It was weird to him that Mr. D’s fifty years at Camp Half-blood were over. Percy had spent every summer with the god of wine as camp director from the age of eleven to twenty-one (albeit with a few exceptions) so while his presence at camp wasn’t the most pleasurable, camp didn’t feel like, well, _camp_ without him. Although his replacement seemed more than excited to take the role.

“Apollo’s been really gung-ho about demigods since he became director.” Percy remarked offhandedly, attempting to burst the tension they felt.

Annabeth stopped. Percy stopped, too, turning around to look at her. Her eyebrows had knit together. That didn’t calm Percy’s nerves. And when she grabbed his arms and met his eyes with her stormy gray ones, it made him sweat a little. His heart skipped a beat, and not in the good _I’m looking at my super awesome and smart girlfriend_ way. More in a _there might be a monster behind us ready to attack_ kind of way. Or maybe _my girlfriend is about to say something important and I have no idea what it could be_ kind of way.

“Percy.” Annabeth’s voice was low. “I have to tell you something.”

“Um, this might not be the best time.” Percy’s eyes darted up and down the corridor.

“I know, I know, and I wanted to make this a surprise for after the quest. But I might as well tell you now.” She swallowed.

“Apollo offered me a job. At camp.”

Percy took a step back. “Uh, what –

Annabeth didn’t let him ask. Although, it wasn’t like he exactly had a single question in the first place. More like a dozen. Instead, she explained.

“It’s like when the gods hired me to redesign Olympus. And then when I designed the new cabins. Apollo’s got this idea – and, well, I spoke to Athena about it because I had heard that Apollo could be a bit…wishy-washy with his projects. But she thinks he’s changed, for the better. And when I spoke to her about _this_ job offer, she said it was a great idea.”

Percy blinked, taken aback. “Wait, you spoke to your _mother_ about this job offer before you spoke to me?”

Annabeth tossed her hands in the air, shrugging. “I wanted to make sure it was a real offer. And it _is_. Percy –

She took his hands into hers. Her chin was set.

“He said that when he was in New Rome, he felt shocked that demigods could have a life there when they’re grown. But at Camp Half-blood, we’re just sent out into the world to live on our own. For powerful demigods like you, like Nico, and Meg, that’s just asking for trouble _._ What if we could have a place like New Rome, for Greek demigods? I mean, before we met the Romans, did you expect us to just live in the mortal world, fearing a monster attack at every turn?”

Percy hadn’t considered it, really. At that time, he recalled, he was more concerned about surviving high school, much less what happened beyond that.

“Demigods could choose where they want to live. Apollo wants to expand the Camp Half-blood border to encompass a town. A town for adult demigods. Like New Rome. And he wants me to design it.”

Percy’s head spun. He could live in New York again. For such a long time, he’d planned his adult life around living in New Rome: visiting his family and Camp Half-blood when they got enough time off to travel cross-country. He had long since accepted living so far away from the people and the places that he loved.

But now, new images flashed in his mind’s eye: watching the Camp Half-blood Fourth of July fireworks with Annabeth from a porch swing, drinking a beer. Smelling the sweet scent of strawberries while barbecuing in a garden that had been grown by a child of Demeter’s hands. Greeting his neighbors: friends who, like him, survived to adulthood. Visiting his little sister in the city on the weekends. Teaching children ( _his_ children) to ice skate on the same lake that he had shared an underwater kiss with their mother so many years ago on his sixteenth birthday. He was homesick for something he'd never had.

He looked at Annabeth. He was no stranger to her moods, and he could read what her face was telling him. She really wanted this.

He knew, immediately, he wanted it too. Sure, he loved living in New Rome and going to college there. Six years was a long time, though. He missed New York, with everything and everyone in it.

“I know it would mean you would have to leave your job.” She said quickly. “You’ve only been there for two years. It’s great being near my dad and stepmom, but –

“Take the job.”

Her eyes glittered. “What?”

“You should totally take the job, Annabeth. This is amazing.” He grabbed her face and kissed her, the tension in the corridor dissipating. He could feel her smiling.

A woman’s wail, far away and faint, echoed through the tunnel. The hair on the back of Percy’s neck stood up on end. The underlying feeling of panic had returned.

“Come on.” Annabeth took his hand and they walked down the tunnel, this time with a greater sense of urgency. Percy checked behind him frequently, but there was never anything behind them. He would kill for Grover’s sense of smell right about now.

The wailing grew louder as they approached the end of the corridor. Finally, they reached a giant, stone door. The door was a dark granite, carved with swirls of what appeared to be sea sponges, urchins, and seaweed. But the granite was so old and cracked that it was difficult to discern. The scream was now so deafening that when he turned to look at Annabeth, he couldn’t hear a single word she said. But he had a feeling he knew what she was thinking. So, he just nodded.

They pushed the doors open, and the screaming was immediately cut off. The doors shut behind Percy and Annabeth with a resounding _bang._ Percy gulped.

Inside, a woman was sitting at the base of a small pool of water. Both the woman and pool were greenish-brown. Her skin was tinged green like the color of algae, her hair the color of seaweed. The water was filled with silt, and, from what Percy could tell, oddly brackish, as if it were freshwater that had been tainted by salinity. He sensed the rivulets and threads that snaked through the ground below the still pool.

The woman’s arms were wrapped around her legs, and dark brown strips of cloth were wrapped around her arms like some sort of bizarre fashion statement. She had her hair pulled back into an ancient Greek style braid and a thin, dark brown band wrapped around the top of her head like a sweatband. When she looked up, her face was thin, her huge eyes sunken into their sockets. She held a giant stick in her hand. The air behind her shimmered.

“Hello.” She said sullenly.

Annabeth and Percy exchanged glances. They both knew what this looked like. Morose women in front of pools were on their respective _do not approach_ lists.

“Um…hi.” Annabeth said, her hand drifting towards her knife. “I’m Annabeth, and this is Percy.”

“I know who you are.” The woman said. Her voice was an expressionless deadpan. She didn’t seem excited about facing them. She prodded the surface of the water with her giant stick. A giant octopus tentacle appeared out of the gloom, curled around for a time, and quickly went back underneath the surface. “I’ve been expecting you.”

“Feels like you didn’t really _want_ to expect us.” Annabeth took a step forward. “Are you the one who’s been flooding sections of the labyrinth with water?”

“It’s just Mist.” The woman said glumly. She didn’t make eye contact and only stared at the contents of the pool as if she expected the giant octopus to reappear. “But yes, that was me.”

Annabeth nudged Percy’s arm. “Uh, what’s your name?” He asked.

The woman’s facial expression changed. She stood up, and for a moment her form wavered. Her face rippled and became fuller. Her eyes became brighter, glinting a deep blue, the same color as the Greek _chiton_ she now wore. “I am Thetis.” She said, in a low, raspy voice. “The first of the Nereids, the goddess of water.” The air once again shimmered right behind her left ear, and her eyes went wide. Her appearance faded once more. Her Greek _chiton_ lost its glittery hue, and when she sat back down in front of the pool her entire ensemble went back to brown. “But I suppose you wouldn’t know that.”

“Percy.” Annabeth hissed. “She’s Achilles’ mother.”

“The Styx dipper?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s what they all remember me for.” Thetis said in her flat voice. “Yes, demigods, I am the mother of Achilles.”

“Her wedding is considered the reason why the Trojan War began.”

Percy was confused. He thought that the Trojan War started because some mortal named Paris said that another mortal, Helen of Troy, was more beautiful than a bunch of goddesses. Now wasn’t exactly the time to recall the full story, though.

Thetis let out a mournful moan. She ran a hand up and down her leg. “Peleus and I were supposed to have a beautiful wedding.” She said. “All the gods showed up. All of them. But then – “ She frowned, the air behind her moving more intensely. Percy nudged Annabeth and gestured to it. Thetis’s brow was furrowed in concentration. “But then…” Her face changed, her mouth turning into a scowl and her eyes narrowed.

The water in front of her started to swirl, forming a whirlpool. Thetis stood once more, and the water flooded its banks. Percy grabbed Annabeth’s hand once more and pulled her back.

“I have nothing against you, children of the gods.” She said over the roar of the water. It had started to creep up the cavern. Soon it would be at their feet. Percy’s mind flashed back to when he, Piper, and Jason had tried to wrangle with a group of nymphs in an abandoned nymphaeum. His heart raced with the memory of almost drowning. Meanwhile, Thetis was still talking.

“But when Zeus and Poseidon fell in love with me, the Olympians forced me to marry a hero I would outlive. They sabotaged my wedding with their petty squabbles. Their war killed my son.” Her voice drifted off once more. The air behind her shimmered more intensely now. Annabeth squeezed Percy’s hand.

“I must set a precedent, you understand.” Thetis continued. “I have been forgotten. I must remind them that I am still here.” Percy willed the water to move to his command, waiting to feel the familiar tug in his gut. But the water didn’t even flinch. Thetis looked up at him, her dark eyes full of pain. When she made eye contact, Percy’s blood went cold. His gut didn’t tug, it _lurched_ , like he had dived into deep water. He breathed out and let it, feeling the water pulse in his ears. The water stopped rising for a good long moment, but another lurch in Percy’s gut and it started moving once more. Thetis’ lips were pursed together, her eyes full of strain. The effort to push the water back knocked Percy to his knees.

“Percy.” Annabeth said, grasping his wrist and lifting him back up.

“I’m okay.” He whispered. Hands shaking, he uncapped Riptide. The sword’s golden shine wavered in the pool’s water. “I – I can’t –”

“ _I_ am in command of this water, Perseus Jackson.” Thetis said. Her tense voice echoed around the cavern, the water vibrating as she spoke. It was now up to Percy and Annabeth’s shoes, freezing cold. Percy desperately hoped for the usual feeling he got from water: of regaining energy and strength. But of course, nothing came. Instead, it turned Percy’s feet to ice.

“Wait.” Annabeth said. Her voice was lost over the sound of water filling the cavern. 

“WAIT.”

The sound reverberated off of the walls.

Thetis looked over at her and the water slowed its pace. 

“Annabeth, what are you doing?” Percy asked. Annabeth shot him a look, saying _just trust me_. He figured she had a plan, but he didn’t like the odds should this plan fail. There was no way he could fight this goddess and expect to win.

“Show yourself.” Annabeth straightened up.

The air shimmered once more behind Thetis, and another woman appeared. Everything about her screamed a punk girl who grew up and never left the scene behind. Her hair was a black braid on one side of her body, all the way down to her hip. She wore black lipstick and all black clothes: a torn T-shirt, jeans, and a studded plaid shirt wrapped around her waist. She had shiny Doc Martins and black cloth wrapped around her wrists and hands, where they covered her knuckles like a boxer. There were silver studs embedded on each of the knuckles. She laughed, a raucous, mad cackle, and Percy could see that all of her teeth were pointed.

“You figured me out.” She said, her voice a smooth purr.

“It wasn’t hard.” Annabeth said. “When Thetis mentioned her wedding, it rang a bell in my head. You were present at Thetis’s wedding, even if you weren’t invited. Is that why…?”

The woman waved a hand. “Oh, please. That was _millennia_ ago. I’m over it, she’s over it.”

“I’m confused.” Percy glanced at Annabeth, still trying to keep an eye on the woman behind Thetis. She was tracing a pointed black fingernail up and down Thetis’ arm. “Who –

“That’s Eris.” Annabeth said quickly. “Goddess of strife and discord. We saw her in Tartarus.”

The woman’s smile grew wider – but it had a cold edge to it, like she hadn’t expected Annabeth to figure her out so quickly. She slung an arm over Thetis’s shoulders, her sharpened nails gripping Thetis’s arm. The water goddess did not respond. She just blinked, staring ahead at Percy and Annabeth. “I see I’m dealing with a child of Athena. How fun.”

It clicked in Percy’s mind: the chasm, the Death Mist. Speaking to Night herself, Nyx. The shiver of fear that ran down his spine and stayed there, even when Annabeth caused all her children to fight. Eris was at the forefront of it, merrily fighting with her siblings, the children of Night.

“She’s whispering in Thetis’s ear.” Annabeth murmured. “We’ve gotta snap Thetis out of it.”

“How?” Percy asked.

“Why are you guys having a meeting over there?” Eris asked, advancing forward. She walked through the water as if it weren’t there. Not even a ripple.

It was time for Percy to stall so Annabeth could think of a plan.

“No reason. Why, uh, why are you doing this?” He asked lamely. 

Eris cocked an eyebrow and crossed her arms. “Why wouldn’t I? I’m the goddess of discord. I throw golden apples into weddings where they don’t belong. Starting wars and such is kind of in the job description.”

Percy thought that _throwing golden apples into weddings_ was an adage or something, but for some reason, the mention of a golden apple in a wedding seemed familiar. Maybe it would keep her talking.

“Golden…apple?” He asked.

Eris rolled her eyes and looked back at Thetis. “Not very intelligent, this one. Why did you pick him again?”

“He’s a son of Poseidon.” Thetis said dreamily. “I thought killing him might get some Olympians’ attention.”

Something in his brain clicked. Eris threw a golden apple into Thetis’s wedding, inscribed _to the most beautiful one_. Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite all tried to claim the apple…and to settle the dispute, they asked a mortal. The rest…well, the rest is history.

Eris’s eyebrow twitched. Percy didn’t even realize that goddesses _could_ have twitchy eyebrows. “So you picked him because he’s an easy kill. Is that right? Or - ” her eyes narrowed. She cursed in Ancient Greek. “Because he’s too strong to keep around. Just _great,_ Thetis.”

Percy brandished Riptide, and Eris took a step back and put her hands up. Her eyes were guarded, full of apprehension.

“Whoa, whoa, chill. I wasn’t going to attack you or anything.”

Percy looked at her over the blade. “What?”

Eris showed him her empty hands. “Oh please, it’s not like I’m armed! I just didn’t expect Thetis to pick such an…interesting duo. I just want to talk.” Eris snickered.

“Talk?” Annabeth scoffed. “ _Sure_. You just like to whisper in people’s ears.”

The goddess sighed dreamily. “I do love to whisper in ears.” She said. “Telling Aphrodite that nymphs think they’re prettier than her. Setting Aeolus’ wind spirits free on the other wind gods. Wilting Persephone’s flowers and blaming it on…well, anyone else, really. I much enjoy conniving, and plotting. I prefer to have others do my dirty work." Her face hardened. "When I whisper in others’ ears, they tend to listen.”

This was getting bad. “You’re nuts.” Percy said, making it worse.

“Thank you.” Eris said jovially. “You know, this girl can do _so_ much better than you, maybe someone a little brighter. You’re together, right? I figured. Much easier to cause trouble in paradise than to grab a weapon and start swinging.”

Annabeth grabbed Percy’s hand and squeezed. She had a plan.

“Yet you stopped Thetis from killing us. And now you just want to talk. What’s your strategy here?” Percy asked.

“She’s afraid of us.” Annabeth said. “She knows who we are, and that we’re strong. She wanted to start a war by killing a few unimportant demigods. But killing us might be too dangerous.” Eris’s smile grew even wider, reminding Percy of the Cheshire cat from _Alice in Wonderland_. Percy knew she had gotten it right.

“I thought this would be entertaining.” Eris said tensely. “But it seems you've figured me out. At least I’ll get something out of your deaths.” She looked at Thetis again and snapped her fingers. “Drown them.” Thetis waved her hand, and the water continued rising. It was at their shins now. Percy’s stomach dropped, and he turned towards Annabeth.

“Run.” Annabeth said.

Percy didn’t even have time to ask her: _That’s the plan?_ But he did it anyway. They ran for the exit. Despite the water only being to their knees, it sapped their strength, making movement more and more difficult. It felt like moving through snow, not water. As they reached the doors, they heard a small _click_ of the door locking.

“Where are you two going?” Eris asked in a low voice, dripping with disapproval. “Drowning isn’t a terrible way to go. Well…actually, it probably is.”

Annabeth pounded on the doors. “Back up.” Percy said to her. She took a step back and he ran towards the doors, throwing his entire weight against them. Nothing. The water was almost to their hips now. Annabeth’s teeth were rattling and her lips were blue. Percy felt like he’d never be warm again.

“Too bad, demigods.” Eris said, with fake sympathy. “I’m sorry you were the ones to fall into this little trap of Thetis. Well, not really. I’ll be glad to get two demigods out of my way. With some finesse, your deaths should cause a fun little war or something.” she turned to Thetis. "What's the phrase mortals say? Two birds with one stone?" Thetis didn't respond, because Eris clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes. “Ugh, Thetis, can’t this water go any faster? I’m meeting my mom for brunch in half an hour.”

“Sorry.” Thetis grumbled.

“Percy.” Annabeth grabbed his arm. “I got it.”

“W-what?” Percy was shivering, his mental strength being sapped away by the water.

“Eris has been whispering in Thetis’s ear, right? So we need a way to wake Thetis up.” Percy looked towards Thetis, and back at Annabeth. He couldn’t even fight one goddess, let alone two. He doubted that he could even _reach_ Thetis. How did she expect him to wake her up? For the first time in a long time, he was at a disadvantage in his home turf. The water was so cold and it sapped away his strength. There was no one else coming to their rescue. Percy realized how out of their depth they were – there was no reason for them to be involved in godly drama.

That made him angry. He gritted his teeth.

“How do we wake her up? Should I th-throw Riptide at her, or something?”

“No. We just need someone more p-persuasive to snap her out of it.” Their arms were now decorated with goosebumps.

“Who did you have in m-mind?”

Annabeth was silent. Percy could tell that he wasn’t going to be happy with the answer.

He had a feeling he knew who she wanted to summon to stop Thetis. Not because he knew much of anything about Thetis, but because he knew that face that Annabeth was making. She looked like someone who had just eaten a very sour candy. So for Annabeth to want _her_ to come here…that just showed how dire their situation was.

“We need t-to summon her. Wi-ith someth-thing drastic.” Annabeth explained, her teeth chattering intensely. The water was rising faster and faster, and reached Annabeth’s shoulders. Soon, she would have to start treading. “S-she raised The-t-tis. So her app-appearance might s-shake her o-o-out of it.”

Eris reappeared behind Thetis. She leaned one elbow on Thetis’s shoulder, picking her teeth with one sharp nail. She watched the demigods with faint distaste. Percy’s heart raced inside a chest that felt like it was being crushed by the cold.

“O-okay.” Percy said.

Annabeth swam up to him and pressed her head against his. She took a deep, shuddering breath in, and out. The air was warm against his frozen face.

“Perseus Jackson,” She exhaled, “Will y-you marry me?”

“Annabeth Chase,” He murmured, “m-my answer is yes.”

Annabeth began to speak in Ancient Greek, a prayer to the goddess. The words threaded all the way down through his bones, filling him with warmth. He would have felt more excited and amazed at the words he had just uttered, but he was so unbelievably _scared_ that he could barely think straight.

The air shimmered next to them, and they averted their gaze. She stood on top of the water looking down at the two demigods with her arms folded.

“I don’t even want to know, do I?” She snapped.

“L-look, we need your h-h-help.” Annabeth said.

“You called me…here…because you need my _help_?” The Queen of Heaven stiffened, looking around the gloomy cavern. When she looked back at the demigods, her eyes blazed like she could incinerate Percy and Annabeth with just her scrutiny; which, in fact, she could very well do if she really cared enough to do it. “Do you even understand –

“T-Thetis.” Annabeth pointed.

Hera craned her neck over to where the other goddesses stood. Her nostrils flared.

“Eris.” She snarled and looked back at Percy and Annabeth. “You summoned me to clean up _this mess_? Oh, don’t answer that. You were right to call me, I suppose.”

"Uh-oh." Eris said.

Percy and Annabeth couldn’t see what was going on exactly, but after Hera snapped her fingers and they heard a massive _bang_ , they relaxed a bit.

“This is not a good look at all.” Hera said. “Thetis, please. I cannot scold these mortals if they’re drowning.”

The water drained out, and Percy and Annabeth’s feet touched the ground once more. They collapsed on their knees, coughing. Their breath came to them in short, ragged, gasps. Percy’s whole body was numb with cold. Hera stood next to them, her eyes still unbelievably enraged. Thetis, meanwhile, was caught halfway between her dull form and a strong, shimmering form. Her eyes and skin were still dull, but she looked less forlorn, more focused. The fabric of her _chiton_ rippled like the sea. 

“My Queen.” Thetis spoke. Her voice was ragged. “My sincerest apolo-

“We will talk about this later.” Hera said to Thetis, like a dissatisfied boss said to their employee. The water goddess shimmered once more, and when Percy closed his eyes, she disappeared in a flash of light.

Hera turned back to the two demigods. “You understand your transgressions.”

Percy could tell that Annabeth was probably going to argue. Actually, there was a very high chance that she was going to argue. Honestly, he didn’t trust _himself_ not to argue with Hera. He was too tired to worry about censoring his words. Problem is, he didn’t think he could make it better if Annabeth chose to argue, so he just kept his mouth shut and trusted her to speak.

“Yes.” Annabeth said eventually. Begrudgingly. Percy thanked the gods (well, the ones that weren't standing in front of him) that she bit her tongue. “Thank you.”

“I need much more thanks than that. Perhaps a _Thank you, Hera, queen of the heavens_. A sacrifice of some sort.”

“Thank you, Hera, queen of the heavens.” Percy said quickly. As much as Percy hated it, she did deserve thanks. He and Annabeth were so close to dying, and with a snap of her fingers they were saved. They slowly stood up to face their least favorite goddess. Apart from the three of them, the cavern was now empty and dry.

Hera turned her nose up. “Fine for now, I suppose, demigod.”

Annabeth coughed.

“I suppose that is it then, demigods. Do not think that I will complete your quest for you, as much as I have already solved your _little problem_.”

“Eris isn’t going away.” Annabeth warned. “This was just her first plan, I think. She seems like she’s looking for trouble.”

Hera glared at them. “And you heroes best take care of that issue. I suppose I only appeared for-” she glanced at each of them in turn, “-well, I suppose your proposal could have been nicer. A ring, perhaps.”

“Little low on those at the moment.” Percy said.

Hera rolled her eyes. “Poor planning, demigod. In any case, with Thetis as my ward and this little – ah, fiasco – I would say granting a pardon just this once is…eugh, acceptable.” She appraised the two of them. “I am looking forward to the two of you getting married and having you as part of my patronage. How exciting. I certainly won’t make your life easier.”

Annabeth looked at Percy and mouthed the word, _fiasco_?

Percy mouthed back, _patronage_?

Hera acted like she did not see their faces. Her smile grew wider and more sinister. She started to glow, and Annabeth and Percy averted their eyes.

When Hera was gone, they found the doors were unlocked. For the first time in a quest, they left back the way they came. They were still shivering, but they dared not stop. The heat of the cave they had fallen into previously warmed them up ever so slightly. Percy helped Annabeth climb onto his shoulders and she crawled through the hole back into Archimedes’ workshop. She held her arms out and pulled Percy up afterward. They crawled back through rocks and into the ancient sewers underneath Italy.

Annabeth would have kept walking but Percy held her back. She turned and he enveloped her in a hug.

“You always pull it off.” Percy said. His voice was muffled in her shoulder.

“I know.” She said. This embrace was even better than the one they had before. It might even be as good as the embrace they had after Percy had been forcibly disappeared for nine months. Courtesy of the exact same goddess they had just seen.

“We’re totally not getting married, are we?”

Annabeth pulled away to look at him, her eyebrows raised. “And be at the mercy of the _marriage goddess_? I don’t think so.”

Percy laughed, the sound echoing down the hallway. “I’m never letting you go though. I hope you’re alright with that.”

Annabeth kissed him fiercely. “Gods, I hope you never do.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Let me know what you thought - this is a one-shot and I don't see myself writing any more fics in the near future as I am focusing on my own projects, but if it is requested I can write a few more one-shots of ideas that I've had. 
> 
> If you are interested in reading more of my work, please check out Out of the Machine over on Webtoons.


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